USA > California > Napa County > History of Napa and Lake Counties, California : comprising their geography, geology, topography, climatography, springs and timber, together with a full and particular record of the Mexican Grants, also separate histories of all the townships and biographical sketches > Part 80
USA > California > Lake County > History of Napa and Lake Counties, California : comprising their geography, geology, topography, climatography, springs and timber, together with a full and particular record of the Mexican Grants, also separate histories of all the townships and biographical sketches > Part 80
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G. E. Mckinley.
I. M. Davee ...
A. Barnett. .
J. M. Stuart ..
.
D. V. Thompson .
D. V. Thompson
D. V. Thompson
J. Maxwell.
Big Valley Township .. Big Valley Township .. Lower Lake Township. Lower Lake Township. Knoxville Township. . . Knoxville Township ... Constahles-
R. Bucknell.
Upper Lake Township. Upper Lake Township. Big Valley Township .. Big Valley Township .. Lower Lake Township.
* Superior Judge.
.
D. Williams.
D. Williams ..
J. W. Everett.
J. W. Everett
County Assessor.
H. Allen.
W. Mathews ...
H. A. Oliver.
H. A. Oliver .
H. A. Oliver. .
W. L. Anderson.
R. W. Crump.
J. O'Shea.
J. L. Cox.
D. L. Miller.
-
Notes showing Appointments made by the Board of Supervisors, from 1872 to 1881, inclusive.
February 8, 1872, W. P. Wilson, Justice for Knoxville Township. October 8, 1872, G. H. White, Constable for Big Valley Township. February 4, 1873, R. K. Nichols, Justice for Lower Lake Township. February 5, 1873, F. D. Tunis, Justice for Big Valley Township. February 10, 1873, C. M. Young, Constable for Lower Lake Township. May 4, 1874, W. W. Greene, Justice for Big Valley Township. May 5, 1874, J. N. League, Justice for Big Valley Township. February 7, 1876, R. Kennedy, Justice for Big Valley Township. May 17, 1876, A. P. McCarty, Surveyor. July 6, 1876, F. McCall, Constable for Lower Lake Township. February 6, 1878, R. K. Nichols, Surveyor. September 10, 1878, W. T. Gully, Constable for Big Valley Township. September 12, 1878, S. O. Morford, Superintendent of Schools. September 14, 1880, P. T. Boone, Constable for Big Valley Township. April 16, 1879, R. H. Lawrence, Constable for Big Valley Township.
April 16, 1379, P. M. Daly, Coroner. January 5, 1880, G. T. Allen, Justice for Upper Lake Township. September 27, 1880, L. H. Gruwell, Supervisor for the First District. March 3, 1881, G. M. Sarcey, Justice for Lower Lake Township. February 9, 1881, E. M. Paul, Justice for Big Valley Township. May 4, 1871, R. Kennedy, Justice for Big Valley Township. September 4, 1874, D. V. Thompson, Justice for Upper Lake Township. February 10, 1876, D. V. Thompson, Justice for Upper Lake Township. April 4, 1876. R. L. Thompson, Constable for Big Valley Township. May 3, 1876, D. L. Miller, Justice for Lower Lake Township. May 17, 1876, R. H. Lawrence, Surveyor.
May 7, 1877, J. H. Soper, Justice for Lower Lake Towuship. September 9, 1878, J. F. Cowan, Coroner. September, 1881, Q. V. P. Day, Supervisor Second District, by Superior Judge. October 3, 1881, J. L. Read, Constable, Lower Lake Township.
Political History of Lake County.
121
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History of Napa and Lake Counties-LAKE.
HOMICIDES OF LAKE COUNTY.
We have used all due diligence to get a full and complete history of the homicides that have occurred in Lake County, and if any have occurred which do not appear in the following pages they have not been discovered by us. We have also endeavored to make our reports of them as full as possible, yet have given to none undue prominence, except as the facts justified.
Killing of B. F. Taylor .- He was killed by John H. Smith, at Lower Lake, August 2, 1857. Smith was placed under arrest, but succeeded in making his escape. He was subsequently arrested in Santa Rosa; but there is nothing to show what disposition was made of the case. It must be remembered that at that early day but little attention was paid to records.
Killing of T. J. Warden .- He was killed by A. J. Hurt December 31, 1859, about one mile from the present site of Lakeport. The men were at a horse race, and some difficulty sprang up between them on account of the race, and in the row Hurt killed Warden. The following is from the Napa Register of April 5, 1873 : "Jack Hurt, whose name is familiar to all old settlers of Lake and Napa Counties, is said to have been a terror in early times and his name was linked with everything desperate. In 1859, on the last day of the year, he killed a man named T. J. Warden, in Lake County, about one mile from where Lakeport now stands. That territory was then included in Napa County, and the Grand Jury, on April 4, 1860, found a true bill, and presented an indictment against him for murder in the first degree. He was placed in jail in Napa City, and dug through the wall, with some assistance from the outside, and made his escape. About five years ago (1868) he returned to Lake County, for the purpose, he stated, of stand- ing his trial, but not having sufficient means to conduct a defense, he delayed surrendering himself. It had been given out that he would not be taken alive, and the officers had been warned by their friends not to make rash attempts nor take any chances, though Hurt asserted that he never made any threats. Officer Harry Baddeley of Napa, having learned his where- abouts, resolved upon having him, and accordingly proceeded to make the arrest. He took with him George Crummell of Calistoga, and together they went to Lake County. Their man was at work at Lee Young's shingle mill, on Cobb Mountain. They proceeded steathily, hiding behind a large rock
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Homicides of Lake County.
until they crept up within a few feet of him, while he was engaged in chop- ping down a tree. Crummell leveled a double-barreled shot-gun at him and remained quiet, while Baddeley stepped out with his revolver, which, in being drawn, was accidentally discharged and notified Hurt of the presence of the officers. He was surprised and bewildered and demanded to know who they were and what they wanted, for it had come to his knowledge that a brother of Warden's had said that he would shoot Hurt on sight, and he had no disposition to die otherwise than bravely. Officer Baddeley announced his mission and ordered him to drop his ax and surrender, which, upon the second order, he did with some reluctance." This was April 4, 1873, and the officers brought him to Napa and incarcerated him in the same cell that he occupied in 1860. It was now, however, lined with boiler iron, and he did not succeed in making a second escape. The Grand Jury found another bill against him, and on the 11th day of October, 1873, his trial came on for hearing. The District Attorney moved that the case be dismissed, as the witnesses had all got so scattered that it would be impos- sible to convict the prisoner. There was an extensively signed petition for his discharge.
Killing of - Holeman .- W. C. Farrell and Holeman were neighbors in Scotts Valley, and some difficulty grew up between them in regard to their dividing line, and both parties claimed a portion of the same tract of land. It is stated that Farrrell would tear down the fence and drive his stock in upon Holeman's field, and then stand guard over them with a rifle in his hand while they were devastating the field. Holeman would again put up his fence, only to have the aggression repeated the next day. They finally agreed upon a plan of settlement, and the fence was being moved by Holeman to the proposed line, when Farrrell came up and demanded that the fence should be moved farther back. Words were passed and finally Farrell shot Holeman through the head. This occurred April 8, 1761. It was claimed by the only witness to the tragedy that Holeman struck first, and Farrell was not held by the Justice to appear before the Grand Jury.
. Killing of William Laffin .- This man Laffin laid a plot to rob the store of Herrick & Getz, in Lower Lake, in the fall of 1861. Charles Stubbs, an officer, found out the plans and went into a room to arrest him, and ap- proaching him said, "You are my prisoner;" to which Laffin replied, " All right." He was seated at a table, and as he arose he produced a very large butcher knife, but before he could use it Stubbs fired, the shot producing almost instant death. The officer was acquitted on the grounds of self- defense.
Killing of - Waggoner .- This was a most dastardly affair, but the mur- derer received his just deserts, simply because he was an Indian it is to be
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History of Napa and Lake Counties-LAKE.
presumed. In 1862 there lived an elderly, quiet, industrious, kind-hearted and inoffensive man by the name of Waggoner in Rice's Valley, about five and a half miles west of Lower Lake. One day he borrowed an ox-team from a neighbor named Jamison, for the purpose of going to Lower Lake to make some necessary purchases. Having made these he started on his way home, and when out of town a mile or so he came up with two Indians who asked for a ride. This request he granted, not suspecting that instead of angels, he was entertaining fiends, unawares. At length they arrived at the place where he turned off from the main road to go up to his house, and stopped the team for the Indians to get out of the wagon. One of them shot him, and then they cut his head entirely off with a new ax he had in the wagon. They then took the body, and hid it in the brush, and took the articles in the wagon and went their way. This was on Tuesday, and as the team was not brought home that night as agreed upon, Mr. Jamison went for it the next morning, but not finding the oxen nor Mr. Wag- goner at home he instituted a search for them. The team was found entangled in the chemisal, a few rods from where the murder was committed, and the traces of fresh blood convinced him that there had been foul play. The neighborhood was aroused and diligent search in and about the place was made, but without success till Friday, when the body was found. Of course there were no traces left of the perpetrators of the diabolical deed, and only the merest accidental circumstance led to the discovery of the guilty parties. Among the things taken from the wagon was a package of soda, and of course that was a very useless article for an Indian to have. Some days afterwards an Indian went to a farm house in the vicinity of the rancheria and exchanged the package of soda for bread, stating that it had been sold to him by the storekeeper as sugar. Mr. W. C. Goldsmith, still a worthy resident of Lower Lake, chanced to stop at that house a few days later, when the lady narrated to him the story of deception practiced by the merchant, condemning the same. It entered Mr. Goldsmith's head that the whole thing had an air of mystery about it, and that it would probably prove a mine of some kind if investigated. He took the package of soda and compared it with that of the same lot which had been sold to Mr. Wag- goner, and found that it bore the same brand, and also the trade mark of Mr. Getz, the merchant of whom Mr. Waggoner had purchased his soda. The evidence was conclusive, but to fix the deed upon any one Indian was the next thing to do. The Indians of all that section were called together and placed in a line, and the lady asked to identify the one who had brought her the soda for exchange. This she did very readily. The party then started to town with their prisoner, when he broke away from his captors and gained the brush, and eluded them completely, and has never been heard from since. The chief of the tribe, Salvador, took the matter in hand then,
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Homicides of Lake County.
and soon ferreted out the accompliee, who proved to be an old Indian. This Indian was taken by the tribe into a ravine about a quarter of a mile south of the town of Lower Lake, and there forced to confess, and there also paid the penalty of his crime.
Killing of - Alexander .- In the town of Lower Lake, on the night of November 24, 1866, Joseph Adams killed a man by the name of Alexander, under the following circumstances : It was the occasion of the dedication of the Masonic Hall in that place, and a ball was in progress. Alexander got to drinking, and an altercation sprung up between him and Adams, and he became furious and began making wild threats. His friends took him away and returned to the hall to get Sheriff Crigler to place him under arrest. While they were talking to the officer Alexander returned to the hall, and meeting Adams in the door drew a revolver and placed it against Adams' breast, saying " Joe Adams, if you try to pass out of that door, you are a dead man." Adams knocked the pistol down and passed out, but Alexander fired two shots, neither of which took effect. He then ran to the stable and mounted his horse and started to make his eseape. Adams went out and got a shot-gun and followed him, and just as he came out of the stable, he told Alexander to stop. Alexander attempted to draw his revolver, but before he had it out a charge of shot had inflicted a mortal wound, from which he soon expired. The shooting was decided to be justifiable by the Coroner's jury.
Killing of John Rhodes .- On the 12th day of December, 1867, John Rhodes was killed by Charles Coram, in Scotts Valley, under the following circumstances: Young Coram lived with his mother, who was a Mrs. Gor- don. It seems that Rhodes was in the habit of abusing the family fre- quently, and on the day of the killing, he went to the house and found that Mrs. Gordon was absent. He then began helping himself to anything that he wanted. Young Coram remonstrated vainly with him, whereupon Rhodes began another tirade of abuse, in which he ineluded the young man and his mother as well, at the same time threatening to kill him, and drawing a re- volver for that purpose. Coram was too quick for him, and fired, the shot taking effect in Rhodes' breast, while a second shot passed through his arm, from the effects of which he soon died. Young Coram was examined before Justice Cox of Big Valley Township, and acquitted, as the deed was done in self-defense.
Killing of William Daily .- He was killed by Lindsay Carson in Big Valley Township, March 26, 1868. The trouble grew out of a dispute over land claimed by both parties. It is not our purpose to include a homily here, but will say that observation shows that nearly all the murders committed in the agricultural counties in the earlier times grew out of
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History of Napa and Lake Counties-LAKE.
either land troubles or drunken rows. It seems strange that in a land so broad and free as this is, men would carry a matter of land dispute up to the muzzle of a shot-gun. Life without the land is a treasure, but what is it if both be lost ? Land "jumping" is the curse of any newly settled coun- try, and, justly too, this class gets but little sympathy from the mass of the people at large, and when one of them gets a bullet through him there are few to mourn his loss, and no juries to convict the man who has thus de- fended his rights. This is a case in point. Mr. Carson had had this land in his possession for a long time, and Daily came along and "jumped " it. On the day of the killing, Carson, in company with five or six others, went to build a fence around the disputed tract. When they had commenced work Daily ordered them to quit, intimating that if they did not he would use violence. They paid no heed to his request, and he went away, being absent about three hours. He then returned, and, passing by the other men, went up to where Carson was at work, a distance of about one hundred yards from the other men. When he got to within thirty paces of Carson he ordered him to stop work. He continued to advance upon Carson, hav- ing his hand under his coat, as if about to draw a weapon, and making at the same time threats of violence. Carson then fired upon him with a shot- gun, but the first shot did not fell Daily to the ground. A second shot was fired, from which he fell, and died in about three hours. Carson had his preliminary trial before Justice Allen, of Big Valley Township, who dis- charged him.
Killing of S. Chapman .- This occurred in Lakeport May 27, 1868. The following statement of the circumstance was published at the time: Mr. Chapman kept a hotel at Lakeport. Mr. G. W. Hinckley had been sued by his wife for a divorce, but she was non-suited. She then refused to live with her husband, and still retained custody of one of their children. On the day of the killing, Hinckley came to Lakeport and obtained possession of the child, a little girl, and was going away with it, when at the solicita- tion of the mother, Chapman went and took it away from the father. Hinckley drew a revolver and presented it at Chapman, for the purpose, he stated, of frightening him and causing him to relinquish the child. The pistol was discharged, whether intentional or not, and the ball entered Chap- man's abdomen and lodged in his back. He lived till twelve o'clock the next day, when he died. It was stated to us that the right of possession of the child had been given to Hinckley by the Court, and that the mother re- fused to relinquish it, whereupon the father took it forcibly, and then the mother rushed up to Mr. Chapman, and with tearful pleadings, implored him to save her child, and on the impulse of the moment he went, not knowing of this order of the Court, and met his death. Hinckley was eventually acquitted.
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Homicides of Lake County.
Killing of C. N. Copsey .- This occurred in Napa County, but as Mr. Copsey was an old resident of Lake County we include it here. Some time during the early part of 1868, Copsey disposed of an Indian girl to J. Mar- vin, who kept a store in Pope Valley, for the sum of $100. A note was given for the amount, which, when it came due, was paid by Marvin. Some three or four months after the money had been paid, October 18, 1868, Cop- sey, in company with a niece, a girl of some fourteen years of age, passed by Marvin's place on their way home from Napa. This was on Sunday. They stopped and did some trading, and while all were busy inside the store the girl persuaded the Indian girl to leave with her. They both got into the buggy and drove off, leaving Copsey in the store. Presently he went on and overtook the girls and proceeded on his way home. In a short time the Indian girl was missed, and it occurred to Marvin that she had been taken off by the Copseys. He mounted a mule and made chase, com- ing upon a neighbor on the road to whom he related his suspicions, and asked to accompany him. They proceeded on the way and came up with the Copseys, who were in a buggy, on the grade leading from Pope to Coyote Valleys. They demanded the girl and were met with a drawn re- volver and told to take the back track. As neither of them were armed they desisted of course, and returned. They soon met Juan Burton, to whom the circumstances were related, and he proposed that they all go and make another attempt to get the girl. To this Marvin consented, but the other party had had enough of it. They came up with Copsey again near the top of the grade. Burton rode ahead and made the demand for the girl, and words were passed, which culminated in Copsey's firing at Burton, the ball passing through his thigh. Shots were then exchanged, Burton firing three in all, one of which passed through the heart of Copsey, killing him instantly. The Indian girl then crawled out from under the buggy seat where she was secreted, and avowed her ready willingness to return with Marvin. The two men then placed the body of Copsey in the buggy, and the niece drove on down the grade to the first house. A bill was found against Burton as principal and Marvin as accessory to the killing, by the Grand Jury December 14, 1868. June 13, 1871, the case came on for hear- ing, and the jury returned the following verdict: "We, the jury, in the case of the People vs. Juan Burton, defendant, find him not guilty."
Killing of Frank Thurman. - This occurred at Lower Lake, December 12, 1868, and the killing was done by a man named Roberts. Nothing is known of the particulars of the trouble between the two men. Ten shots in all were fired-four by Roberts and six by Thurman. None of Thur- man's shots took effect, but one of Roberts' entered his antagonist's body just below the left nipple, and passed through his lung. Roberts was exam- ined before a Justice of the Peace and discharged.
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History of Napa and Lake Counties-LAKE.
Killing of George Manahan .- This tragedy took place at Lakeport, April 3, 1870, and the deed was committed by John Wright. It seems that the two men had known each other in some of the mining towns in the mountains, and that a very bitter feud existed between them. This was the day of the election on the county seat question, and the two men met in the town. It soon became evident that trouble would develop between them during the day. Manahan secured a piece of a broken spoke, which he car- ried around in his hand all day. About two o'clock in the afternoon Wright was standing in the door of the City Saloon, when Manahan entered, and, as he passed him, jostled against him very rudely. Wright paid no atten- tion to this, however, whereupon Manahan repeated the aggression. Being armed with the spoke, he thought he was safe in thus imposing upon his enemy. To his surprise, Wright whipped out a heavy revolver and struck him over the head. At this Manahan started to run, whereupon Wright fired at him, the ball passing through his body, from which he died in about an hour and a half.
Killing of John Wright .- Immediately after the occurrence narrated above, Wright, who had fired the fatal shot at Manahan, made his escape from the town of Lakeport. A posse went in search of him, but no trace could be found of him. That evening information was lodged with the officers of his whereabouts. Deputy Sheriff Tonas Penny, accompanied by Henry and English Moore, started in pursuit of him. They came upon him in a field about two miles south of town. He was riding a gray horse, hence could be seen easily in the dark. They commanded him to stop, but he only put spurs to his horse and rode off. He was then told that if he did not stop and surrender they would fire upon him ; but this did not avail, and he only tried the harder to elude them. The officer then gave the com- mand to fire, and he fell dead from his horse.
Killing of Daniel Wedig .- Daniel Wedig was an eccentric character, who lived in Scotts Valley, but who was an innocent and harmless man. In fact his eccentricity, which almost amounted to insanity, was of a religious vein, as the following reminiscence will prove : He was a subscriber to some paper in Boston or elsewhere at the East, which advocated the peculiar tenets to which he adhered. He was very much attached to this paper, and desired very much to see it prosper. At one time two young men, friends of his, paid him a visit for the purpose of having a hunt and a vacation in the country. While they were there he conceived the idea of sacrificing himself for the good of his espoused religious cause. He thereupon made his will, got it duly witnessed and recorded, making this religious paper and the two young men his devisees. He then procured some strychnine and went away off by himself and hid in the bush and took the supposed-to-be
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Homicides of Lake County.
fatal dose. The agony of that night can never be portrayed by words, and when he found that death had passed him by he was glad enough to creep back to the house and get assistance. In the meantime the young men had come to town and given the alarm, for it will be seen at a glance that they were in a bad box, for had he died from poison the very night on which he had willed to them a portion of his property, no power in the world would have saved them from answering for the deed, innocent though they were. He continued to live by himself for some years, and finally, in the month of December, 1870, he was missed by his neighbors, and thinking that he had succeeded this time in his self-immolation, search was instituted for him. Upon entering his house a horrid sight presented itself to their astonished view. His body lay stretched out upon the floor before the fire-place, with his head cleft in twain by an ax. No traces of the murderer could be found, and it was supposed that money was the object. In the course of a few days an Indian by the name of Tom was found in possession of Wedig's gun, and not being able to give a very straight story concerning it, he was arrested. He made a full confession of the deed and was sentenced to be hung. He succeeded in making his escape, but was subsequently recaptured, and in due course of time suffered the extreme penalty of the law, being the only person ever hung in the county of Lake.
Killing of William B. Cooper .- This occurred at Lower Lake on the 25th day of October, 1873, and Jefferson Cody did the shooting. Some time previously the two men had gotten into some difficulty, and ill feelings had existed between them ever since, and Cooper had been in the habit of threatening Cody with dire results. On the day of the shooting he had renewed his threats, and tried to exasperate Cody into a row, which he had avoided. That night Cody and his wife went to a neighbor's on a visit. Cooper having found out where Cody was, followed him to the house, and sent word in to him that if he did not come out he would set fire to the house, as he intended to kill him that night. Cody then went to the hotel parlor, and Cooper having found it out, followed him. He opened the door and made directly for him. Cody was armed with a double-barrelled shot- gun, loaded with buck-shot, and he discharged both barrels into Cooper's breast, some of the shots entering his heart. Justice R. P. Nichols held the inquest, and discharged the defendant from custody.
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